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The secret sauce in PSS

Published on
03 August
by
Allison O'Neill
,
Vice President, Passenger Solutions, SITA

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Some airline services are core services – reservations and inventory, for example, or ticketing and departure control. Every airline handles them pretty much the same way. They’re often highly standardized and maybe even regulated.

But there are other areas across the value chain where airlines can differentiate themselves (loyalty programs, business intelligence, etc.). It’s in these areas that airlines can inject their ‘secret sauce’ and deliver on their brand values and promise. In order to do this, airlines need to know who their passengers are, and understand the value of each one.

One of the big challenges that airlines face today is how to keep up with the connected traveler. The ‘always on’ travel experience comes with high expectations – not just with connectivity but service in general. Passengers expect to be known. They don’t want to reintroduce themselves to an airline any more than they would their bank or grocery store. They expect the airline to remember their history, their preferences, the things that create a more seamless travel experience.

Airlines know this, of course. In the 2015 Airline IT Trends Survey, 82% of them said they were investing in solutions to improve personalization.

As a passenger services systems (PSS) provider, it’s important for SITA to create a platform and architecture that enable airlines to get the efficiency and effectiveness they need out of their core services while at the same time empowering them to implement their own brand experience. SITA’s Horizon PSS portfolio does just this. In doing so, it helps airlines understand the value of their customers, customize their service accordingly, and thus build more enduring relationships with passengers.

Learn more about how PSS can help airlines know their passengers in my column “The ‘joined up’ journey” in the latest Air Transport IT Review.